Improved marble-polishing machine



l UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

`EDMUNDT. NICHOLS, OF JOLIET, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO HIMSELF AND FRANCIS M. NICHOLS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVED MA'RBLE-POLISHING MACHINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 48,832, dated July 18, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, EDMUND T.'N1oHoLs, of Joliet, in the county ofWill and State ofIllinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Polishing Marble and other Stone; and I do hereby declare that the fol. lowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the sam e, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures marked thereon, which form part of this speciliication.

1n said drawings, Figure I represents a per-v spective view of my invention; and Fig. 2- shows detached views of various parts of the same, hereinafter more fully described.

The nature of my invention consists in the employment of an adjustable inclined polishing-bed havin ga vibratory or reciprocal movement, whereby the'marble or other stone lying close upon said bed is thoroughly polished by the frictional action upon the same produced by said reciprocating motion of the aforesaid polishing-bed.

My said invention further consists in a novel arrangement for supplying` sand and water to said polishing-bed,for the purpose of facilitating and improving the polishing process; and also in a novel device whereby the water which has once been used can be returned to the reservoir, whence it is conveyed t0 the machine and used again repeatedly, thus effecting a great economy in the use of water necessary in the operation of the machine.

My invention also embraces sundry details of construction and arrangement which will hereinafter be fully and at large set forth.

To enable those skilled in the art to understand 'how to construct and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same with particularity, making reference in so doing to the aforesaid drawings.

-A represents the frame ofthe machine, that end thereof at which the sand and water is supplied being a little higher than the opposite end, so that the polishing-bed, which is arranged within said frame, as hereinafter described, lies in an inclined position to facilitate the passage over it and between it and the stone to be polished of the sand and water admitted, as hereinafter specified.

B represents two upright posts or standards which supportthe sand box orhopper, (marked C,.) as shown.

D represents a hinged bottom to the sandbox C, being hinged at one edge and kept up close against the sand-box so as to prevent the escape of the sand by a spiral spring, b, or its equivalent. Directly above said hinged bottom there are arranged thrce or more cutoff slides, (marked a,) which are separately adjustable, and which, when all closed, also prevent the passage of sand from the box C. By

means of said slides the amount of sand passing from the box muy be regulated, and it may be distributed to that part of the polishingbed which is desired to be so supplied. From the front edge of said hinged bottom D there extends downward the cord or chain c, whose lower end is attached to the movable arm E, which is pivoted to the frame at e.

G represents the crank by means of which the machineis operated, motion being imparted to the shaft I, which propels or moves the polishing-bed by means of the spur-Wheels F H, and to the drum N by means of the drum f and band g. The said drum Nis fixed rigidly upon the shaft O, each end of which shaft is supported in suitable bearings in the sides of the water-reservoir. (Marked T.)

Upon the ends of the arms P, fixed radially upon the shaft O, there is arranged the bucket Q, which, as the shaft O revolves, dips water from the reservoir and pours it upon the inclined table L, whence it flows down upon the polishing-bed through the gates d. The said bucket Q is designed to be divided into as many compartments as there are slides a, the number ofthe gates d bein g the same, also, as the number of said slides. Each of said compartments is provided with a small aperture, (marked r,) which may be opened or closed, when desired, by means of the valves s. At the back of said inclined table L there is arranged upon central pivots at cach end a movable leaf, (marked M,) whichis kept down upon and in the same plane with said table Lby the weights m, attached to its front edge, the said leaf, when in that position, extending back beneath the circular path of the bucket Q, to catch the water therefrom, but turning upon its said pivot-bearings to permit said bucket to pass down when discharged. The pin n,

projecting from the arm P, as shown, presses upon the aforesaidarm E and presses or draws down the hinged hopper-bottom, and allows the sand to fall therefrom upon said inclined table L, to be Washed upon the polishing-bed K, until said pin n passes said arm E, when the sandbox is closed by the operation ot' the aforesaid spring b.

'lhe shaft I, before mentioned, is provided with aerank-elbow, as shown at I, to Which is attached one end of a pitman-rod, J, the other end being attached to the polisher K at k. (Seen. in Fig. 2.) The said polisher is constructed of cast-iron or other suitable metal, and has its polishing-surface covered with transverse channels, or smoothed or roughened in any suitable manner to adapt it to the nature ofthe block to be polished. The said polisher is supported between the upper timbers of the frame upon the rollers R, whose shafts are supported in the adjustable boXes S, Whose arms pass up through the frame and are fastened by means otthenuts shown or by any other suitable means. By this arrangement the inclination of the polisher may be varied so that the sand and water may be caused t-o flow down more or less rapidly, according to the weight of the stone upon the same, as the heavier the stone is the more sand and Water is required. The Water and sand 110W down from the polisher, and are received in a tank or receiver, (marked U,) said receiver being connected by means of' a tube or trough, V, to the reservoir T, so that the Waste water flows back into said reservoir and can be used repeatedly, as hereinbefore mentioned. The slab of marble or other stone is placed upon the polisher, and is prevented from Ymoving With the same by the bars W, which are fastened to the frame at eachend of the slab, as shown. When it is desired to polish the edge of the slab it is turned'up so as to present its edge to the polisher, when it is retainedin position by attaching the clamp Z to its upper edge; or a series oi' slabs may be arranged side by side'and fastened'together in any suitable manner, and thus the edges ot' several' blocks be polished at once. When the sand and Water are needed upon one side only of the polisher, the corresponding slide a. and

gate d are opened and the others closed, While the corresponding aperture r in the bucket Q is closed and the others opened,so that the Water escapes from those compartments whose apertures are open in the ascent of the bucket, and only that compartment which corresponds to the open slide and gate retains and pours out thewater upon the aforesaid table L. By

placing a layer of felt upon the polishing-bed Whatis called the putty polish 7 or gloss nish 7 is produced.

h h (shownin Fig. 2) represent small rollers arranged in the sides of the reciprocating polishing-bed, to reduce the friction, while the ranged as and for the purposes described.

3. In combination with the sand-box C, the hinged bottom I), spring b, and slides a, all arranged and operating substantially as shown and set forth.

4. The combination and arrangement of the hinged bottom D, spring b, chain c, and arm E, as and for the purposes described.

5. Providing the inclined table L with the pivoted adjustable leaf M, arranged substantially as and for the purposes specified.

6. The employment ot' a revolving bucket, Q, arranged and operating substantially as and for the purposes shown and described.

7. The combination and arrangementof the reservoir T, the revolving bucket Q, inclined table L, polishing-bed K, receiver U, and tube or trough V, operating substantially as and for the purposes described.

EDMUND T. NICHOLS.

Witnesses:

W. E. MARRs, F. NICHOLS. 

